Swerving, dancing and fancying people at work

We all know deep down that it’s the tiny things that make all the difference but do we ever stop to really think what those things are? Let’s take your job, for example. What’s the one thing you love most about it? Just one thing, be specific… and don’t say it’s the people you work with (fancy), or the freedom (hanging around on the taxi rank DW) or the flexible hours (lazybones). Think of something that makes your day worthwhile. I do various things, as you know, but the greatest achievement has to be the smile on the face of an 85 year old on Wednesday as he sent his first email. Watching the simple thrill of a confirmation flashing up on screen and him quietly cheering absolutely made my day. In such a small way I changed someone’s life, and it’s really quite a privilege to say that.

And now some motoring advice for you. It really annoys me when drivers are chatting on mobiles and swerving all over the place with only one hand on the wheel. Even more so when they’re texting! No names, dark winding lanes, 80mph, cupcake in hand! (Actually it was a muffin, but that sounded a bit rude.) I also can’t stand it when someone is glaring at the satnav instead of the road ahead. High on the list of criteria when I chose my car was an integrated Bluetooth system. Phone, maps, sounds and, most importantly, a radio that displays the names of the singers and songs. I’ve long believed that reading whilst driving is dangerous but a quick glance to the left satisfies curiosity, especially on the trendier stations where, I admit, I don’t know all the artists. So I quite scared myself recently when I found me, one of the safest drivers I know, strangely on the wrong side of the road. I’m a very good driver. I always indicate. I look in the mirror, and not just at traffic lights when I’m putting on lipstick. I usually stick to the speed limit. I watch the car two vehicles ahead. I anticipate. But you know what? Turns out it is not so safe to rummage about in a handbag for a phone, open its case, key in the password, scroll through to the reference folder, then Shazam whatever’s playing. Makes you veer off over the dotted white line, and that’s not a good thing. I don’t recommend it.

Mia’s wedding was fabulous! I’m mentioning this because in the middle of the dance floor she told me she loves this blog, and it’s still new enough for me to be happy when people say that. She looked gorgeous – as did Jo, my oldest and very beautiful friend (LA Lady now but always an Essex girl at heart) – and we all drank lychee martinis and danced to Stevie Wonder. If you’re still reading after eight weeks, I hope you like it too.

I’m writing this very late and too sleepy to think of suitable lyrics to end with, so this is for those of you who know… ‘We’re strangers meeting for the first time, okay? Just smile and say hello…’ Alternatively, smile and email me, smile and text, smile and tweet, Skype, whatever… I’ll reply! @WeekendWitch.

Recent blogs

Renée’s book: The Colours Inbetween

A collection of blog posts about building a small business, social media, networking, pink wine, stockings, music, fun & the 80s
Buy from Amazon or Smashwords

Happy clients say…

Renée is an amazing writer who is the author of some fantastic blogs… very informal and conversational, she talks TO the reader rather than at them. She uses a lot of humour, she doesn't take herself too seriously and isn't scared to laugh at herself; a bit of naughtiness included too for added spice(!)… I asked Renee to help me understand SEO and how to improve my site. We had a one to one session in which she explained in detail everything I needed to know. Her explanation was clear and fully understandable, which was great for me as I had no previous knowledge of SEO or social marketing. I left our meeting confident of what I needed to do in order to boost my site, which is exactly what I wanted to gain from the session... Renée is the most friendly and professional person I have ever worked with. She is an asset to any company and brings a new insight into training. I would strongly recommend Renée to any company wishing to grow and to improve staff performance… Renee is the ultimate networker and is happy to share her contacts for the benefit of others. She is very knowledgeable and has a great network of contacts... Renée creates fantastic web content and writes our twice-weekly blog. Being results-driven, she has succeeded in increasing traffic referrals to our website and raising us swiftly through Google rankings. She also runs our social media marketing campaigns effectively and handles all related staff training in a relaxed and lively manner. She’s great to work with and bakes nice cakes!... I have received great compliments about Renée from those attending the Mildmay Job Clubs... Renée has made valued contributions to our key School Policies (such as The Equality and Diversity policy and The Learning and Teaching policy). She is extremely professional, she has a great eye for detail and can empathise with the target audience. She ensures what is written is a true reflection of what is going to happen or what needs to be said whilst encompassing all stakeholders in the process... Renée’s writing is clear and concise and we have used this in our accountancy practice to produce professional letters to our clients that they can understand. All our team are unanimous when we say Renee is a pleasure to work with and we are looking forward to continuing our strong relationship... A professional and well organised outfit that exceeded expectations. Excellent feedback from the client group who asked for more of the same... Renée has a very good reputation among learners and staff. Her learners benefitted from her expertise. She has a very good outcome from her learners. We are very happy to have Renée as part of our team at Redbridge Institute of Adult Education... Renée has a very relaxed style and is able to get on with colleagues at all levels. She is able to engage very diverse audiences when training, which she delivers in a very user-friendly way. I am more than happy to talk to any potential clients…Personable, expert, high integrity... Delegates came away from the training sessions with vital new skills and a better understanding of how they could communicate more clearly… Renée was able to run these sessions in such a way as to make them both informative and enjoyable. I was remarkably impressed with Renee’s professionalism and expertise and can honestly say that she helped us achieve 100% of the targets we had set ourselves. I would have no hesitation in recommending her… Renée demonstrates outstanding oral presentation skills and has an enthusiastic approach to the subject which promotes motivation and participation between learners... Highly effective identification of individuals' learning needs, excellent support provided as appropriate: one-to-one or as a group...
.